Jigs for use in fashioning bows out of ribbon are well known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,214 (issued to Hecht) discloses a bow-making jig which is said to be intended for novice bow-makers. Hecht's jig includes a substantially rectangular base having a row of circular holes formed in the top surface thereof. The holes are adapted to receive pegs to be mounted on the base in an upright position. At an intermediate point in the row of holes a pair of hoops extends upwardly from the base. In use, a peg is placed in a respective hole on each side of the pair of hoops and a length of ribbon is wound around the pegs to form ribbon loops. The ribbon is passed between the hoops in a position such that the ribbon is held between the pegs by the pair of hoops.
The applicant believes that Hecht's pair of hoops, although intended to aid the user of the jig, would tend to interfere with the movement of the user's hands. In addition, it is believed to be rather difficult to thread the ribbon between the hoops.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,666,249 (issued to Ruiz et al.) discloses a bow-making jig similar to Hecht's, in that Ruiz's jig also includes a row of holes into which pegs may be inserted. Instead of Hecht's pair of hoops, a slotted peg is provided at a central point in Ruiz's row of holes. The slotted peg is intended to constrain the loops of ribbon which are wound around rods on opposite sides of the slotted peg. The disclosure of the Ruiz patent is incorporated herein by reference.
Bow-making jigs provided according to the prior art generally require the user to maintain tension on the ribbon to keep it in place until a fastener is tied around a central part of the bow. While professional bow-makers become quite proficient at maintaining the necessary tension without permitting the ribbon loops to become disarranged, amateurs often find this to be a difficult aspect of the bow-making operation.
Another disadvantage of known bow-making jigs is that a rather limited number of styles and configurations of bows can be made with the prior art jigs.